SPARTANBURG, SC – UNC Greensboro has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference in men’s soccer, according to the league’s coaches.
In the voting announced Thursday, UNCG was a unanimous choice, receiving first-place votes on all seven possible ballots. Coaches do not vote for their own team’s placement.
In addition, the Spartans placed five players on the pre-season all-conference squad. Earning pre-season All-SoCon accolades were forward Randi Patterson, midfielders Scott Jones and Egill Atlason, defender David Worthen and goalkeeper Jay Benfield. Earlier this week, Patterson, the 2004 SoCon Player of the Year, and Jones, the 2003 SoCon Freshman of the Year, were both named to the candidates list for the Hermann Award, given the to National Collegiate Soccer Player of theYear.
Patterson, Jones and Worthen were all first-team all-conference selections last year, while Atlason was a second-team selection last November.
UNCG garnered a perfect 49 point total to place it atop the pre-season poll. Furman and Davidson were tied for second, each with 38 points. College of Charleston was fourth, followed by Elon, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Wofford.
The Spartans, ranked as high as sixth in the national preseason Top 25 polls, close out their exhibition season on Saturday when they host NC State at UNCG Soccer Stadium beginning at 7 pm.
AGATE
2005 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PRE-SEASON MEN’S SOCCER
POLL:
1. UNC Greensboro (7) 49; 2. Davidson (1) 38; 2. Furman
38; 4. College of Charleston (34); 5. Elon (23); 6. Appalachian
State (21); 7. Georgia Southern (14); 8. Wofford (7).
2005 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PRE-SEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
SELECTIONS:
Forwards: Douglas Boateng, Elon; Raphael Jones,
Appalachian State; Jeremy Gold, College of Charleston;
Randi Patterson, UNC Greensboro.
Midfielders: Josh Villalobos, Furman; Scott Jones, UNC
Greensboro; Egill Atlason, UNC Greensboro.
Defenders: John Latting, Davidson; Junior Nombre, Elon;
David Worthen, UNC Greensboro.
Goalkeepers: (TIE) Taylor Saxon, Elon; Jay Benfield, UNC
Greensboro.
- UNCG -